House Republicans Still Have Some Reaganism Left in Them

An oft-retailed narrative about congressional Republicans is that they have grown isolationist over the last decade, aligning themselves with President Trump’s general aversion to international commitments. We are told the party has all but abandoned Ronald Reagan’s brand of conservative internationalism, opting instead for restraint and retrenchment. Last week, Republicans in the House of Representatives demonstrated that their party’s supposed transformation on foreign policy has been overblown — much to the disappointment of those members who despise the use of American power.

While advancing the 2026 U.S. defense budget, House leadership allowed the chamber to vote on several amendments, introduced by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Georgia), that would have struck military assistance to various countries. The security aid she targeted was set to flow to allied governments resisting aggression in the world’s three most perilous theaters: Taiwan in the Pacific, Ukraine in Eastern Europe, and Israel and Jordan in the Middle East.

About the Author

John R. Puri

John R. Puri is the Thomas L. Rhodes Fellow at National Review.

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An oft-retailed narrative about congressional Republicans is that they have grown isolationist over the last decade, aligning themselves with President Trump’s general aversion to international commitments. We are told the party has all but abandoned Ronald Reagan’s brand of conservative internationalism, opting instead for restraint and retrenchment. Last week, Republicans in the House of Representatives demonstrated that their party’s supposed transformation on foreign policy has been overblown — much to the disappointment of those members who despise the use of American power.

While advancing the 2026 U.S. defense budget, House leadership allowed the chamber to vote on several amendments, introduced by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Georgia), that would have struck military assistance to various countries. The security aid she targeted was set to flow to allied governments resisting aggression in the world’s three most perilous theaters: Taiwan in the Pacific, Ukraine in Eastern Europe, and Israel and Jordan in the Middle East.